All the Beds are Dressed

All the beds are dressed!

20 years and going strong!  20 years since Princess Di died.  20 years since Maura and Tim met in March.  20 years since I knew my parents were separated.  And now, I am here again with some of my most favorite people in the world.  In Narragansett, Rhode Island.  My happy place.

My Mom and Aunt Kitty started renting this house from a family friend.  It is a typical New England home.  It’s beautiful and cozy.  It’s a place where we eat, drink, laugh and play games.  It’s a place where we go to the beach and interact as a family.  It’s a place where generations can have fun and laugh no matter what the age.

Today I drove down with my mother, the AP and my cousin, Triona Manchester, England via Galway.  It was only one hour and twenty minutes.  To go the Cape on a Saturday in the summer would have taken at least two and a half hours.

When we arrived, we didn’t have a key.  My sister, Maura, my one and only sibling, was picking up the groceries at 2:00 at Stop and Shop with her sons, Ryan (13) and Dylan (9), the nicest boys ever.  They asked ask me, “why do you say that?’  I just tell them, “Because you are.”  As we waited for the cleaner to arrive, my mom, the AP, Triona, Niamh, and Mo hung out in the backyard.   Mo and Niamh quickly felt the urge to go to the packy (liquor store for those of you living outside of Massachusetts.)  Mo was ready for a legit beach vacation.  Sun, sand, BBQs and alcohol!

They returned with a large bottle of Tanqueray (gin), beer and red wine!!!! Mo made me the strongest gin and tonic because I was the first to say I wanted one.  It was strong.  I needed it.  My shoulders and neck were in pain all day.  All it took was a strong G&T, a painful massage by Triona and some essential oils from the house cleaner.  The pain Triona caused me caused me to moan like a bear.  A small crazy wounded bear.  The essential oils released it all without a sign.  The house cleaner went around to all of us.  Me, Maura, Triona, Niamh, Mom and Mo.  Is it a hot feeling or cool? That was the debatable question.  Who is right?  Mom and Niamh, the coldies, or Maura, Triona and I the hotties.  Mo thinks it depended upon the breeze blowing on you! What do you think?   

Since I was feeling relaxed and a bit buzzed, I was inspired to empty out the cars.  My mother told me to sit down and let the others help.  I carried sooOOOOOO many bags to the front porch.  Once they all saw the GIRL with MS working her butt off they got off their lazy bums.  They were like a machine then.  A machine!!!!!  I emptied the AP’s important things, her blankie, pillow and two.  Two?  What?  The AP has a sock monkey; it’s been with her since birth.  It’s irreplaceable.  We tried; so I ordered TWO.  I ordered two twin sock monkey in case Monkey ever go lost.  The AP named them TWO.  How clever is that! 

We all continued to unpack the kitchen and the bedding necessities like a fine-oiled machine.  When we all met up in the kitchen, Triona said, “ All the beds are dressed.”  That was it.  We all settled in and people started cooking.  The five foreigners and four American born, there were more Americans but some were foreign born.  Guests from Boston, Cork, Galway, Manchester, and Lebanon.  It didn’t matter; all the beds were dressed.